Eurydice

Education is financed to a significant extent from public budgets. However, the financing of individual educational levels starting from early childhood education and care, school education to higher and further education differs significantly.

Below is a list of approximate distribution of funding by source for each education level (the sum of the shares in each row should equal 100).

Early Childhood Education and Care

The ECEC system is completely decentralised, and since 1993 the founding rights have been transferred to the institutions of local and regional self-government units (LGUs). The state provides for the ECEC system in such a way that each year funds are provided from the state budget for children in the public needs programme (children with disabilities, gifted children, children belonging to national minorities and the preschool programme).

The Croatian education system is mainly a centralised system governed at all levels of education by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia and national agencies. However, there are many decentralised functions performed by the founders of ECEC institutions, primary and secondary schools.

Sectoral agencies are responsible for different areas of education.

Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF)

The Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF) was introduced in 2013 as a reform tool in the education system in Croatia. In 2013, the Croatian Parliament adopted the Act on Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF) thus establishing the CROQF and describing its implementation on the national level.

Private early childhood and school education

Organisation of the Education System and of its Structure

Croatian education system provides education services at pre-school, primary school, high-school and higher education levels, as well as for adult education, so as to enable every learner to optimally develop his/her potential, aiming at their personal development and entry into the labour market, including their preparedness for lifelong learning.

 Lifelong learning strategy

Strategies and measures concerning promotion and provision of lifelong learning are embedded in all key national strategic and other top-level documents steering the development of the education system.

Fundamental principles and national policies

Organisation and governance

The Croatian education system is a mainly centralised system governed at all levels of education by the Ministry of Science and Education and national agencies. The Ministry of Science and Education(MSE) is the competent ministry for the field of education and it performs administrative and other tasks related to the education system in Croatia.